These protein packed balls have lentils in them...and they're delicious. These can be a choose-your-own-adventure recipe, depending on what's in the pantry or what mood you're in. I recommend adding mini chocolate chips since we're working with peanut butter here :)

Servings: 30balls

Ingredients

1cupcooked lentils,drained and rinsed if canned

1/2cupnatural peanut butter

1/8tspfine sea salt

1/4cuphoney*

1 cuprolled oats

2tbsphemp or chia seeds

1tspcinnamonor other spice of choice (optional)

1/4cupshredded coconutoptional

1/3cupchopped datesraisins or mini dark chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

Mash lentils with fork in a large bowl. Stir in peanut butter, salt, honey, oats, seeds, cinnamon, coconut and dates, if using, until well combined. Scoop out mixture using a tablespoon (or 1-inch scoop) and roll into balls.

Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Option: freeze balls on a tray until frozen, then store in a sealed container or freezer bag. When ready to eat, allow balls to thaw for at least 10 minutes.

*replace honey with 1 small very ripe mashed banana for a lower sugar option

Recipe Notes

Options:

Roll balls in coconut (instead of stirring in) before refrigerating.

Press mixture into square pan. Refrigerate and cut into bars.

Use any other nut or seed butter (including tahini) and any dried fruit or nut/seed as add-ins, OR omit all add-ins and simply stir together lentils, peanut butter, honey and oats to make quick power balls.

Replace 2 Tbsp nut butter with coconut oil

Make PB & J balls: Scoop out mixture and press into flat disk. Add a small spoonful of jam or jelly into centre (not too much!); fold up sides and roll into a ball so that filling is intact and not squeezing out.